Path of the Just Mesilat Yesharim Class #5 Factors that Detract from Vigilance

(1) There are three factors which cause loss of and distancing from "watchfulness".

(2) The first is involvement and preoccupation in worldly affairs. The second is laughter and levity. The third is bad company. We will discuss each one in turn.

(3) Regarding worldly involvement and preoccupation, we have already spoken about this earlier. For while a man is occupied in his worldly affairs, his thoughts are bound by the chains of the burden that weighs on them and it is impossible for him to give thought to his deeds.

(4) Considering this, our sages, peace be unto them, said: "minimize your worldly occupations and toil in the Torah" (Avot 4:10).

(5) Occupying oneself to obtain a livelihood is indeed necessary but it is not necessary to occupy oneself to such an extent that he has no room left for service [of G-d]. For this we were commanded to fix times for Torah study.

(6) We have already pointed out that this is the most essential of all things for the acquiring of watchfulness, as the Beraitha of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair states: "Torah brings to watchfulness". Without Torah, one will not reach it at all. This is what our sages said "an ignorant man cannot be pious" (Avot 2:5).

(7) For the Creator, blessed be He, who created the evil inclination also created the Torah as its antidote as our sages of blessed memory have stated: "I have created the evil inclination, and I have created the Torah as its antidote" (Kidushin 30b).

(8) Behold, it is obvious that if the Creator created for this affliction only this remedy, then it is impossible under any circumstances for a man to heal himself from this affliction without employing this treatment. One who thinks to save himself without Torah study is only mistaken, and will see his error only in the end, when he dies in sin.

(9) For in truth, the evil inclination is exceedingly powerful on a man. Without a man's knowledge, it advances and strengthens over him and comes to rule over him. Even if he employs all possible strategies in the world, but does not take the medication created for it, namely, the Torah as I wrote, he will not know nor feel the intensification of his illness until he dies in sin and his soul will be lost.

(10) To what can this be likened? To the case of a sick person who consulted the doctors. They recognized his illness, and prescribed for him the healing medication. But he, without any prior knowledge of medicine, disregards their medication and instead takes whatever medicine that occurs to him. Will not this sick person certainly die?

(11) So too in our case, for no one recognizes the illness of the evil inclination and its powers except for the Creator who created it. And He Himself cautioned us that the only remedy for it is Torah. Who then will abandon it, take something else instead and expect to live? Certainly the darkness of the physical will advance and strengthen over him level after level, without his realizing it until he finds himself immersed in evil, so distantly far from the truth that even thoughts of seeking [the truth] will not enter his heart.

(12) But if he toils in the Torah, when he sees its ways, commandments, and warnings, behold, on its own, eventually a renewal will awaken within him which will bring him to the good path. This is what our sages of blessed memory stated: "would that it were that they abandoned Me but kept My Torah, for the light within it would bring them back to the good" (Eicha Raba 2).

(13) Included in this, is also to fix daily times for the accounting of deeds and their correction as I mentioned earlier.

(14) Besides all this, all the free time he has left from his affairs, if he is wise, certainly he should not waste it. But rather to immediately grasp hold of it and not be lax in it, utilizing it to toil in the affairs of his soul and the improvement of his service of G-d.

(15) Although this detrimental factor we have discussed is the most prevalent, nevertheless it is the easiest to escape from, for he who wants to escape it.

(16) The second detrimental factor, laughter and levity, is very severe. For one who is immersed in these is like one immersed in the great sea, from which it is extremely difficult to escape. For behold, laughter destroys a man's heart until reason and knowledge no longer rule in him. He becomes like a drunkard or a madman whereby it is impossible to give counsel or guide them for they are incapable of accepting any direction.

(17) This was said by King Shlomo, peace be unto him: "I said of laughter, it is madness; and of merriment, what use is it?" (Ecc. 2:2). And the Sages of blessed of memory, said: "laughter and light-headedness habituate a person to illicit relations" (Avot 3:13). For even though sexual immorality is regarded as severe by every man of faith, and his heart fears approaching it, due to the vivid picture that has been imprinted in his mind of the enormity of the sin and the severe punishment it incurs, nevertheless, laughter and light-headedness draw him on little by little, advancing him nearer till the fear of sin leaves him bit by bit, degree after degree, until he reaches the sin itself and commits it.

(18) Why is this so? Because just like the essence of "watchfulness" involves putting matters to mind, so the essence of laughter is to remove from one's mind straight, rational thinking so that thoughts of fearing G-d do not enter his heart at all.

(19) Consider the severity of levity and its destructive power. For just like a shield smeared with oil deflects and drops arrows from him, causing them to fall to the ground, preventing them from reaching the body of the man, so too is levity before rebuke and reprimand. For with one act of levity or a little laughter, a man casts from himself a great many rousings and impressions that the heart was made to feel due to stimulation in seeing or hearing matters that awakened him to an accounting and examination of his deeds.

(20) The power of levity knocks it all to the ground thus not making any impression whatsoever on him. This is not due to the ineffectiveness of the matters nor to lack of understanding on his part, but rather to the power of levity which demolishes all matters of Mussar (ethics) and fear of G-d.

(21) Behold, the prophet Isaiah would "scream like a crane" for he saw that this was what left no room for his rebukes to make an impression thus ruining all hope for the sinners. This is what he said: "And now do not be mockers lest your afflictions be strengthened" (Isaiah 28:22).

(22) And our sages of blessed memory have already proclaimed: "one who is given to levity brings afflictions on himself" (Avodah Zara 18b). And scripture states explicitly: "Judgments are prepared for the frivolous" (Prov. 19:29). This is something reason dictates. For one who is aroused through reflection and study does not need the ordeal of bodily sufferings since he will repent of his sins even without this. He repents by means of thoughts of repentance awakening in his heart stimulated by the reading or hearing the reprimands and rebukes.

(23) But the frivolous are not impacted by the rebukes due to the power of levity. Therefore, there is no way to rectify them except through sufferings. For they are not capable of deflecting the impact of sufferings through the power of levity like they do so with the rebukes.

(24) According to the severity of the sin and its consequences, the True Judge increased its punishment as our sages of blessed memory taught us: "levity is extremely severe; it starts with suffering and ends in utter destruction as written (Isaiah 28:22):'And now do not be mockers lest your bonds be strengthened for a decree of destruction have I heard...' " (Avodah Zara 18b).

(25) The third detrimental factor is [evil] company, namely, the company of fools and sinners. This is what scriptures says: "he who befriends the fools will be broken" (Prov.13:20). We can see many times, even after the truth of a man's duty for divine service and watchfulness of it has been established by him, he becomes lax in it or transgresses certain commandments so that his friends do not mock him or in order to be able to mingle freely in their company.

(26) This is the intent of Shlomo's warning: "do not mingle with those who make changes" (Prov.24:21). If a man claims to you: "a person's mind should always be associated with his fellow men" (Ketuvot 17a), reply to him, "this refers to human beings who act like human beings. Not human beings who act like animals." Shlomo warns further: "Go from before a foolish man" (Prov. 14:7). And King David said: "Fortunate is the man that walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers" (Ps. 1:1). Our sages expounded this: "If he walks, he will eventually stand. If he stood, he will eventually sit" (Avodah Zara 18b). And "I did not sit with men of falsehood, neither did I go with hypocrites. I have hated the congregation of evil-doers, and will not sit with the wicked" (Ps. 26:4-5).

(27) A man has no [remedy] but to purify and cleanse himself and to refrain his feet from the ways of the masses who are sunken in the vanities of the time and to redirect his feet to the courtyards of G-d and His sanctuaries. This is what David himself concludes: "I will wash my hands in cleanliness and I will go around Your altar, O G-d" (Ps. 26:6).

(28) If he happens to find himself in the company of those who mock him, he should not give heart to this mockery. On the contrary, let him mock them and shame them. Let him consider in his heart - if he had an opportunity to profit a great amount of money, would he leave what he needed to do for this due to other people's mocking him? How much more so, to not want to lose his soul for the sake of sparing himself some mockery.

(29) In this manner the sages of blessed memory warned us: "be brazen as a leopard... to do the will of your Father in Heaven" (Avot 5:20). And David said: "I will speak of Your testimonies before kings, and will not be ashamed" (Ps. 119:46).

(30) Even though most kings' occupation and speech is in matters of grand accomplishments and pleasures and David who was also a king, would seem to be embarrassed to speak words of Torah and ethics while in their company instead of great feats and pleasures like them. Nevertheless, he did not care at all. His heart was not enticed for these vanities after he had already attained the truth. Rather, he states explicitly: "I will speak of Your testimonies before kings, and will not be ashamed". Likewise Isaiah says: "I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed" (Isaiah 50:7).